Identification and removal of a promiscuous CD4+ T cell epitope from the C1 domain of factor VIII.

BACKGROUND: The development of inhibitors in hemophiliacs is a severe complication of factor VIII (FVIII) replacement therapy and is a process driven by FVIII specific T helper cells. OBJECTIVES: To finely map T cell epitopes within the whole FVIII protein in order to investigate the possibility of engineering FVIII variants with reduced propensity for inhibitor development. PATIENTS AND METHODS: T cell lines were generated from five patients with severe hemophilia who had developed inhibitors, and were screened for T cell proliferation against pools of overlapping peptides spanning the entire B domain deleted (BDD) FVIII sequence. Positive peptide pools were decoded by screening individual peptides against the T cell lines. Positive peptides, and mutants thereof, were tested for their ability to bind major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class II and stimulate T cell proliferation in a panel of healthy donors. The activities of the corresponding mutant proteins were assessed via chromogenic assay. RESULTS: One peptide, spanning FVIII amino acids 2098-2112, elicited a vigorous response from one hemophiliac donor, induced strong T cell responses in the panel of healthy donors and bound to a number of HLA-DR alleles. Mutations were made in this peptide that removed its ability to stimulate T cells of healthy donors and to bind to MHC Class II while retaining full activity when incorporated into a mutant BDD-FVIII protein. CONCLUSIONS: Fine T cell epitope mapping of the entire FVIII protein is feasible, although challenging, and this knowledge may be used to create FVIII variants which potentially have reduced immunogenicity.

Application of standardized quality control procedures to open-path Fourier transform infrared data collected at a concentrated swine production facility.

Open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP/FT-IR) spectrometry was used to measure the concentrations of ammonia, methane, and other atmospheric gases at a concentrated swine production facility. A total of 2200 OP/FT-IR spectra were acquired along nine different monitoring paths during an 8-day period between January 11 and 22, 1999. Standardized quality control (QC) procedures were applied to the archived OP/FT-IR spectra to verify that the instrument was set up and operating properly during the field study and to identify outliers in the concentration data. These QC procedures included measuring the random baseline noise, the signal strength, and the relative single-beam intensity in selected wavenumber regions; inspecting the archived spectra for wavenumber shifts, changes in resolution, and evidence of detector saturation; and examining time series plots of the target gas concentrations and the uncertainty values reported by the classical least-squares (CLS) analysis. Application of these QC procedures to the archived spectra identified 252 potential outliers. After a careful review of the original spectra, 41 of the 252 suspected outliers were designated as actual outliers. Of the QC criteria used during this study, the uncertainty values reported by the CLS analysis were the most reliable indicators of actual outliers.

Online stabilization of block-diagonal recurrent neural networks.

This paper deals with a discrete-time recurrent neural network (DTRNN) with a block-diagonal feedback weight matrix, called the block-diagonal recurrent neural network (BDRNN), that allows a simplified approach to online training and to address network and training stability issues. The structure of the BDRNN is exploited to modify the conventional backpropagation through time (BPTT) algorithm. to reduce its storage requirement by a numerically stable method of recomputing the network state variables. The network and training stability is addressed by exploiting the BDRNN structure to directly monitor and maintain stability during weight updates by developing a functional measure of system stability that augments the cost function being minimized. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the BDRNN architecture, its training algorithm, and the stabilization method.

Performance of the universal portable anesthesia complete vaporizer with mechanical ventilation in both drawover and pushover configurations.

Currently, a mechanical ventilator that can be adapted to the Universal Portable Anesthesia Complete (UPAC) vaporizer and anesthetic delivery system does not exist. The need for the anesthetist to concentrate on drug delivery and fluid resuscitation for the combat casualty in the field setting provides an expedient for the adaptation of a ventilator to the UPAC system. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the performance of the UPAC vaporizer was significantly altered when mechanical ventilation was provided in a drawover versus a pushover configuration, and to provide vaporizer performance curves for ventilatory parameters common for mechanical ventilation. The Ohio V5A and Lifecare PLV-100 ventilators were used in controlled benchwork analysis. The results of the comparison between the two ventilators indicated that there was no significant difference in vaporizer output between drawover and pushover configurations. The data indicated that vaporizer output could be reliably predicted in either mode and was correlated with tidal volume and respiratory rate.

Clinical evaluation of pushover mechanical ventilation with the Ohmeda Universal Portable Anesthesia Complete vaporizer.

Previous studies have not demonstrated the usefulness of a mechanical ventilator with the Universal Portable Anesthesia Complete (UPAC) field anesthesia delivery system in a pushover mode. This study demonstrated that the Lifecare PLV-100 ventilator can function effectively in a practical pushover configuration with the UPAC vaporizer. By comparison, vaporizer output followed the patterns of documented concentration curves for isoflurane at a given dial setting and minute ventilation. Measured airway pressures in the breathing circuit were within physiological parameters.

Starvation and survival: some military considerations.

The combination of calorie deprivation and forced evasion is a unique and severe stress. The physiologic adaptations which occur under these conditions are complex. Performance decrements and psychological changes are evident within 24 hours of cessation of nutritional intake. Although marked losses of both lean tissue and total body mass are unavoidable, ultimate survival duration depends on many things. This article reviews some of the physiologic and pathologic changes which occur during total calorie deprivation and some of the factors which impact on the ability to survive.

A C-terminal peptide of bovine rhodopsin binds to the transducin alpha-subunit and facilitates its activation.

In order to investigate the possible roles of the intracellular domains of rhodopsin in the functional coupling of the photoreceptor to transducin, different peptides that correspond to parts of the known sequence of rhodopsin were synthesized. Since we have found tht the binding of rhodopsin to the alpha subunit of transducin (alpha T) increases the susceptibility of alpha T to phosphorylation by protein kinase C-beta 1, we used this phosphorylation reaction as an initial screen for peptides that mimic the actions of rhodopsin. The results of this screen indicated that a peptide from the C-terminal tail of rhodopsin (amino acids 325-338; KNPLGDDEASTTVS-amide; designated as peptide 3) was capable of interacting with the alpha T subunit. Evidence that peptide 3 binds to alpha T at a site that overlaps the rhodopsin-binding domain was obtained from experiments showing that peptide 3 inhibited the rhodopsin-stimulated GTPase activity of alpha T and that this inhibition was overcome at high levels of rhodopsin. A potentially important outcome of the peptide 3/alpha T interaction is the facilitation of the activation of the alpha T subunit. This was first demonstrated in fluorescence experiments where the binding of peptide 3 was shown to strongly promote the enhancement of the tryptophane emission of alpha T that is elicited by the addition of NaF. Specifically, the EC50 for NaF was shifted from approximately 4 mM in the absence of peptide 3 to below 0.5 mM in the presence of peptide 3. Further verification that peptide 3 facilitated the ability of NaF to activate the alpha T subunit was obtained from experiments measuring the alpha T GDP/NaF-stimulated hydrolysis of cyclic GMP by the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase.

Molecular cloning and analysis of one member of a polymorphic family of GACA-hybridising DNA repeats in tomato.

Simple sequence repeat oligonucleotides were used to probe the tomato genome for elements displaying variability amongst commercial cultivars. The oligonucleotide (GACA)4 was found to be particularly informative on genotype screening blots, hybridising to a highly polymorphic family of elements, and was used to clone one such member from a lambda library. The GACA-hybridisation was localised to a 1.3-kbHinfI fragment within the original 15-kb lambda insert. This 1,349-bp subclone (pT-GACA-2:1.3) was used to probe 27 Californian processing varieties and found to be capable of distinguishing all from each other, thus demonstrating its utility as a genetic fingerprinting probe for cultivar identification. Hybridisation occurred to approximately 10 major high molecular weight (> 4-kb) bands, most of which segregated independently in F2 populations, as well as a large number of less clearly resolvable smaller fragments. Sequence analysis of the cloned element reveals that it is almost entirely composed of GACA or GATA repeats. These tetranucleotides are organised into distinct repetitive domains, consisting either of tandem arrays of each tetranucleotide or interspersions of GACA and GATA to form dodecanucleotides that are then further repeated. The boundaries between domains contain sufficient departures from the concensus repeat to allow construction of unique polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. Amplification from two such contiguous regions identifies length variation in both, thus yielding a genotype screen appropriate for high-throughput applications, such as assessment of purity in F1 hybrid seed lots.

Rhodopsin/transducin interactions. I. Characterization of the binding of the transducin-beta gamma subunit complex to rhodopsin using fluorescence spectroscopy.

In this work we have used fluorescence spectroscopic approaches to examine the binding of the beta gamma T subunit complex of transducin to the photoreceptor, rhodopsin. To do this, we have covalently labeled the beta gamma T subunit complex with the environmentally sensitive fluorescent cysteine reagent 2-(4'-maleimidylanilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid (MIANS). By using the MIANS moiety as a fluorescent reporter group, we were able to monitor directly the binding of the MIANS-beta gamma T complex to light-activated rhodopsin, which was reconstituted into phosphatidylcholine vesicles, through an enhancement (30-50%) in the MIANS fluorescence. Phosphatidylcholine vesicles, alone, elicited only minor changes in the MIANS-beta gamma T fluorescence (i.e. less than 10% enhancement), whereas the addition of rhodopsin in the absence of lipid vesicles and in minimal detergent fully mimicked the effects of reconstituted rhodopsin and caused a significant enhancement of the MIANS fluorescence. The interactions between the MIANS-beta gamma T complex and rhodopsin also resulted in a quenching of the rhodopsin tryptophan fluorescence (approximately 30%), which most likely reflected resonance energy transfer between the tryptophan residues and the MIANS moieties. The binding of the MIANS-beta gamma T species to the alpha T subunit was accompanied by an enhancement of the MIANS fluorescence (30-50%) and a slight blue shift of the emission maximum, as described previously (Phillips, W. J., and Cerione, R. A. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 11017-11024). However, the alpha T-induced enhancement of the MIANS-beta gamma T fluorescence was not additive with the enhancement elicited by rhodopsin. Conditions which resulted in the activation of the alpha T subunit reversed the alpha T-induced enhancement of the MIANS emission, whereas the rhodopsin-induced enhancement persisted, thereby suggesting that the rhodopsin-beta gamma T complex can remain intact throughout the G protein activation event. Studies with synthetic peptides representing different regions of the cytoplasmic domain of rhodopsin demonstrated that a portion of the putative carboxyl-terminal tail (amino acid residues 310-324) was capable of eliciting changes in the MIANS-beta gamma T fluorescence as well as inhibiting the MIANS-beta gamma T-induced quenching of the rhodopsin tryptophan fluorescence. These results suggest that this region of the rhodopsin molecule may constitute a portion of the binding domain for the beta gamma T complex.

Rhodopsin/transducin interactions. II. Influence of the transducin-beta gamma subunit complex on the coupling of the transducin-alpha subunit to rhodopsin.

In these studies we have investigated the role of the beta gamma T subunit complex in promoting the rhodopsin-stimulated guanine nucleotide exchange reaction (i.e. the activation event) of the alpha T subunit. The results of these studies demonstrate that although the beta gamma T subunit complex increases the association of the alpha T subunit with lipid vesicles that lack the photoreceptor, the beta gamma T complex is not necessary for the binding of alpha T to lipid vesicles containing rhodopsin, provided sufficient amounts of rhodopsin are present. The rhodopsin-promoted GDP/guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) exchange reaction, within the rhodopsin-alpha T complex, then results in the dissociation of the alpha TGTP gamma S species from the rhodopsin-containing phospholipid vesicles. A second line of evidence for the occurrence of rhodopsin/alpha T interactions, in the absence of beta gamma T, comes from phosphorylation studies using the beta 1 isoform of protein kinase C. The phosphorylation of the alpha T subunit by protein kinase C is inhibited by beta gamma T, both in the absence and in the presence of rhodopsin, but is enhanced by rhodopsin in the absence of beta gamma T. These rhodopsin-alpha T complexes also appear to be capable of undergoing a rhodopsin-stimulated guanine nucleotide exchange event. When the guanine nucleotide exchange is allowed to occur prior to the addition of protein kinase C, the phosphorylation of the alpha T subunit is inhibited. Although beta gamma T is not absolutely required for the rhodopsin/alpha T interaction, it appears to increase the apparent affinity of the alpha T subunit for rhodopsin, both when rhodopsin was inserted into phosphatidylcholine vesicles and when soluble lipid-free preparations of rhodopsin were used. This results in a significant kinetic advantage for the rhodopsin-stimulated guanine nucleotide exchange event, such that the addition of beta gamma T causes a 10-fold promotion of the rhodopsin-stimulation [35S]GTP gamma S binding to alpha T after 1 min but provides less than a 20% promotion of the rhodopsin-stimulated binding after 1 h. The ability of beta gamma T to increase the association of alpha T with the lipid vesicle surface does not appear to contribute significantly to the ability of rhodopsin to couple functionally to alpha T subunits, and there appears to be no requirement for beta gamma T in the alpha T activation event, once the rhodopsin-alpha T complex has formed.

Labeling of the beta gamma subunit complex of transducin with an environmentally sensitive cysteine reagent. Use of fluorescence spectroscopy to monitor transducin subunit interactions.

In this study, we have examined the interactions of the beta gamma subunit complex of the retinal GTP-binding protein transducin (beta gamma T) with its alpha subunit (alpha T) using fluorescence spectroscopic approaches. The beta gamma T subunit complex was covalently labeled with 2-(4'-maleimidylanilino)napthalene-6-sulfonic acid (MIANS), an environmentally sensitive fluorescent cysteine reagent. The formation of the MIANS beta gamma T complexes (two to five MIANS adducts per beta gamma T) resulted in 2-3-fold enhancements in the MIANS fluorescence, and 20-25-nm blue shifts in the fluorescence emission maxima, relative to the emission for identical concentrations of MIANS-labeled MIANS complexes. The addition of alpha T.GDP to these MIANS beta gamma T complexes resulted in an additional enhancement in the MIANS fluorescence (typically ranging from 20 to 40%) and a 5-10-nm blue shift in the wavelength for maximum emission. These fluorescence changes were specifically elicited by the GDP-bound form of alpha T and were not observed upon the addition of purified alpha T.guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) complexes to the MIANS beta gamma T species. Conditions which resulted in the activation of the alpha T.GDP subunit (i.e. the addition of AlF4- or the addition of rhodopsin-containing vesicles and GTP gamma S) resulted in a reversal of the alpha T.GDP-induced enhancement of the MIANS beta gamma T fluorescence. Thus the MIANS beta gamma T fluorescence provided a spectroscopic monitor for transducin-subunit association and transducin-activation. Based on the results from studies using this spectroscopic read-out, it appears that the association of the alpha T.GDP species with the beta gamma T subunit complex to form the holotransducin molecule is rapid and does not limit the rate of the rhodopsin-stimulated activation of holotransducin. However, either the dissociation of the activated alpha T subunit from the beta gamma T complex, or a conformational change in beta gamma T which occurs as a result of the subunit dissociation event, appears to be slow relative to the G protein-subunit association event.

Extendable Probe.

In order to maintain the advantages of utilizing the Probe "balloon on a wire" dilatation catheter and still retain the safety of an over-the-wire system for PTCA, a method for extending the probe is described.

An antibody-induced enhancement of the transducin-stimulated cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activity.

In this work we have characterized the ability of a carboxyl peptide-specific antibody (AS/7), raised against the alpha subunit of transducin (alpha T), to potentiate the stimulation of the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) by transducin. The complexation of the purified guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S)-bound form of alpha T (alpha T.GTP gamma S) with AS/7 results in a 2-5-fold enhancement in the total levels of cyclic GMP hydrolysis measured after 1 min. This potentiation by AS/7 cannot be attributed simply to an increase in the apparent affinity of alpha T.GTP gamma S for the effector enzyme, nor to an increased affinity of the enzyme for the substrate cyclic GMP. The AS/7-induced potentiation is specific for alpha T.GTP gamma S-PDE interactions; this antibody has no effect on the activity of the trypsin-activated PDE nor on the ability of the GDP-bound form of alpha T to inhibit the trypsin-activated enzyme (Kroll, S., Phillips, W. J., and Cerione, R. A. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 4490-4497). Phosphatidylcholine vesicles also will enhance the alpha T.GTP gamma S-stimulated PDE activity (1.5-2-fold) relative to that measured in the absence of a lipid milieu. However, the potentiations of alpha T-stimulated cyclic GMP hydrolysis elicited by AS/7 and lipids represent separate events. Titration profiles describing the AS/7-induced potentiation, as a function of the amount of antibody added to the assay mixtures, indicate that maximal activity occurs when there is one molecule of AS/7 per two molecules of alpha T.GTP gamma S; the AS/7-induced potentiation is lost when AS/7 much greater than alpha T. GTP gamma S, i.e. conditions which favor the formation of monovalent AS/7-alpha T.GTP gamma S complexes. When the AS/7 is papain-treated to yield monovalent antibody molecules, complexation between these monovalent antibodies and alpha T still occurs (as reflected by the ability of these antibodies to block rhodopsin-alpha T coupling); however, the potentiation of the alpha T.GTP gamma S-stimulated PDE activity is lost. Taken together, these results suggest that the AS/7-induced potentiation of alpha T-stimulated activity is dependent on the bivalent nature of the antibody, and maximal stimulation of PDE activity is achieved by the interactions of two activated-alpha T molecules with a single molecule of PDE.

Pituitary thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptors: local anesthetic effects on binding and responses.

Pharmacological agents are widely used to probe the mechanism of action of TRH. A number of these drugs behave as local anesthetics at high concentrations. The effect of local anesthetics on the binding of [3H]Me-TRH to specific receptors was studied using the GH4C1 line of rat pituitary tumor cells. [3H]Me-TRH binding was inhibited by classical local anesthetics with the order of potency (IC50 values): dibucaine (0.37 mM) greater than tetracaine (1.2 mM) greater than lidocaine (3.3 mM) greater than procaine and benzocaine (greater than 10 mM). IC50 values for other drugs with local anesthetic properties that inhibited [3H]Me-TRH were: 100 microM trifluoperazine, 100 microM imipramine, 170 microM chlorpromazine, 300 microM verapamil, and 700 microM propranolol. Inhibition by tetracaine and verapamil increased as the pH was raised from 6 to 8.5, indicating that the free base form of the amine drugs was the inhibitory species, and the local anesthetic effect was greater at 37 C than at 24 C or 0 C. [3H]Me-TRH binding to receptors in isolated membranes was inhibited to the same extent as binding to receptors on intact cells. Local anesthetics were 3- to 20-fold less potent at inhibiting [3H]Me-TRH to digitonin-solubilized receptors than binding to intact cells. In contrast, the potency of chlordiazepoxide, a putative TRH antagonist, to inhibit [3H]Me-TRH binding was equal using cells and solubilized receptors (IC50 = 10 microM). Local anesthetics inhibited TRH-stimulated PRL release and also inhibited basal PRL secretion and secretion stimulated by two nonhormonal secretagogues, (Bu)2cAMP and a phorbol ester.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Solubilization and characterization of pituitary thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptors.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) receptors were solubilized from a rat pituitary tumor cell line, GH4C1, with digitonin. Convenient assays were developed based on the ability of hydroxylapatite and polyethyleneimine-soaked glass fiber filters to adsorb the solubilized [3H]methyl-TRH-receptor complex but not free [3H]methyl-TRH. The kinetics of [3H]methyl-TRH binding to solubilized receptors were extremely temperature dependent. Binding reached equilibrium at 10-20 nM [3H]methyl-TRH in 30 min at 23 degrees and 6 hr at 0 degree. The half-times for dissociation were less than 5 min at 23 degrees and 7.6 hr at 0 degree. Equilibrium binding experiments yielded linear Scatchard plots at 0 degree with Kd = 3 nM, whereas the Kd was greater than 20 nM at 23 degrees. A series of TRH congeners displaced [3H]methyl-TRH with the rank order reported for membrane receptors, N3-methyl-HisTRH greater than or equal to TRH greater than pGlu-N3-methyl-HisProNH(CH2)6NH2 greater than or equal to pGluHisProNH(CH2)6NH2 greater than pGluHisTyrNH2 much greater than TRH free acid. The antagonist chlordiazepoxide exhibited an IC50 of 10 microM. [3H]methyl-TRH binding to solubilized receptors displayed a broad pH optimum, from 6.5 to 7.5. The solubilized receptor could be obtained from cultured GH4C1 cells and in much larger quantities from GH4C1 tumors. Tumors from 12 rats yielded greater than 700 pmol of specific soluble TRH binding activity (1 g of protein). The solubilized receptor could be purified 10-20-fold by chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin columns and could be concentrated by adsorption on either DEAE-Sephadex or hydroxylapatite. The procedures outlined allow the solubilization of pituitary TRH receptors from a rich and abundant source, the rapid and reproducible assay of [3H]methyl-TRH binding, and substantial enrichment of receptor activity. These findings should be valuable for the purification and identification of the TRH receptor protein.